


Comfort Food

by RebaK1tten



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Family, Fluff, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-19
Updated: 2014-04-19
Packaged: 2018-01-20 00:47:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1490524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RebaK1tten/pseuds/RebaK1tten
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When things are really bad, when it’s too many children or shattered families, it has to be chicken and dumplings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Comfort Food

For Spencer, it’s mac and cheese.  Not homemade, but the stuff out of the blue box.  It’s one thing he remembers fondly from childhood, something he could make himself.  Occasionally, he could convince his mom to take a few spoonfuls; she seemed to crave the salt.  The pasta is always overly soft, the flavor is only a little like cheese and of course the color is neon orange.  Made with margarine and whole milk, Spencer finds it heavenly.  He and Jack usually split the box, and Jack douses his with ketchup.  Aaron usually makes himself a turkey sandwich and silently watches his men eat their dinner.  Spencer gradually relaxes with his bowl of therapy.  Jack just thinks it’s the best dinner in the world. 

Aaron is a bit more complicated, of course.  When things are really bad, when it’s too many children or shattered families, it has to be chicken and dumplings.  It’s not an overly difficult recipe, but has several steps.  And over time, they’ve found that working together, chopping, measuring and mixing is soothing.

Jack is allowed to help, he gets to cut the dumplings with a pizza cutter and he stands on a chair next to stove to drop them into the simmering broth.

It takes almost two hours for the chicken, the broth, the dumplings and the slow simmering. The glass or two of white wine they drink while cooking usually helps with the relaxation. 

Sitting down to dinner as a family is the most comforting thing of all. 

**Author's Note:**

> More old stuff moved from LJ to here. I think this was a comment fic fill.


End file.
